Straight from wikipedia: (incase its helpful and you have to reference it)
In 1990s because of the risk of undetected blood bank contamination from
AIDS,
hepatitis C and other emergent diseases such as
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, there was additional motivation to pursue oxygen therapeutics. Significant progress was achieved, and a hemoglobin-based oxygen therapeutic called Hemopure was approved for
Phase III trial (in elective orthopedic surgery) in the U.S., and more widely approved for human use in South Africa.
In December 2003 a new hemoglobin-based oxygen therapeutic,
PolyHeme, began field tests in a Phase III trial on emergency patients (in trauma settings) in the U.S. PolyHeme is the 15th experiment to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration since 1996. Patient consent is not necessary under the special category created by the FDA for these experiments. In late 2005, an independent panel verified, after the fourth and final review of 500 trauma patients enrolled in this study by that date, that no statistical evidence of safety concerns had arisen so far in the study. This pivotal study is expected to conclude in mid-2006 with final enrollment of 720 patients. If successful, this trial could lead to Food and Drug Administration approval of PolyHeme for use for severely bleeding trauma victims as early as sometime in 2007. Wired news reports that the PolyHeme trial failed when 47 of the 350 people given PolyHeme died compared to 35 deaths out of 363 in the control group. Debate exists as to whether or not the difference in the mortality rate is attributable to the small sample size. The fact that the experimental subjects did not give consent is a significant factor.
[2]
The U. S. Military is one of the greatest proponents of oxygen therapeutics, mainly because of the vital need and benefits in a combat scenario. Since oxygen therapeutics are not yet widely available, the
United States Army is experimenting with varieties of
dried blood, which takes up less room, weigh less and can be used much longer than
blood plasma. Water has to be added prior to use. These properties make it better for first aid during
combat than whole blood or packed red cells.
i believe you were actually after the progress towards it?